Women
and teaching

Question

What are the fields which it is permissible for a woman
to learn? Is it permissible for her to work as a lawyer and take on cases
representing others as much as she is able to?

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

Women may learn about their
religion and whatever will be of use to them in their lives as wives and
mothers. Then if a woman is able and circumstances are suitable, she may
learn other things too. There is no reason why she should not learn the
profession of teaching, whether she teaches in women’s schools or in her
own home.

A woman may also learn medicine and nursing, especially in the field of
women’s diseases (gynaecology), so that she can be a women’s doctor or
a women’s nurse, and women will not be forced to go to male doctors.
It is permissible for a woman to represent another person in a case, hence
it is permissible for her to be a lawyer, because lawyers represent
defendants. However, the field of law nowadays has taken a wrong turning.
Moreover, the lawyer needs to mix with the defendants and attend court,
etc., and women are not allowed to do any of these things. So it is not
appropriate for women to become lawyers so long as things remain as they
are.